David- I just saw my article, and I'm very impressed with your layout. You make me look like a pro! Again, congrats on a successful launch to the magazine.
Part 2 of Scott's article on platinum / palladium printing...
Just a quick note to let you all know that the second part to Scott Davis's article on platinum / palladium printing is now available at http://creativeimagemaker.co.uk.
For those of you that managed to pop by and take a peek at Part One last week, you'll know that we've got as far as sorting out all the preparation. This week - we take it from exposing the print to the final image.
I enjoyed reading the writing and it makes me want to get going on another printing session. It brings to mind a couple of questions but one interesting thing I find different from my printing experience is that you, Scott, say that your prints dry up. That is opposite to my prints which dry very much darker. I have a really hard time printing light enough that the prints don't dry down too dark. I wonder how to account for the difference in our process. I wonder if it is paper characteristics. I use the Crane's 90 lb ( still have 800 sheets from B&S) and you use the COT paper. Would you say that is the reason for the difference?
The paper may account for it, but it is a generally considered characteristic of pt/pd prints that they dry "up", if for no other reason than the 'dulling' effect of the difference between wet and dry prints. That result of the profound dry-down is unusual - I've not found a radical shift one direction or the other with pt/pd, but most of the time it has been mild to observable drying "up".
I used some of the Cranes 90# when I first started learning, and I didn't like the wet strength at all. Part of the problem was at the time, I was coating with a cheap foam brush from the hardware store, which was tearing up my paper as I was coating. That aside, I didn't like the watermark, or the base color either. I've not experimented much with different papers, so I'd refer you to some of our other printers here who have tried a wider range of surfaces. I've printed on the heavy-weight Gampi paper, which has a very nice look/feel, the Soccoro(sp?) which doesn't exist anymore (that would have been my #2 paper choice were it still around), and I have some other papers to experiment with. I know it isn't difficult to try some of the other papers, even the ones that need the acid pre-soak, but I've been working with limited darkroom time and production deadlines, so I've stuck with the paper I know best and works easiest for me. I don't think there's anyone here who will say you'll go wrong with the COT320 - they may have different preferences for one reason or another, but it's a great paper.
Very well done Scott and David. The article is well-written, and laid out and illustrated very nicely.
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If I had been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better arrangement of the Universe.
Alfonso the Wise, 1221-1284
I wonder if there is a confusion about the Crane's 90lb cover, platinotype. It has never had a watermark and the wet strength is very good. I wonder if you are talking about another Crane's paper that I can't think what it is called is a writing paper that a lot of people have used for platinum printing that does have a water mark and is a problem when wet. I have some Cot 320 on hand though I have never tried it. I am about to start printing so I will see if it dries up or down for me. I am curious if other people have their prints dry up. I have only heard of them drying down.. way down.
Very well done Scott and David. The article is well-written, and laid out and illustrated very nicely.
Thank you for the kind comments johnnywalker, the real thanks go to Scott who took a lot of time and trouble to take the images and get all the text down despite having several other pressures on him!
For the others:
I hope you all enjoyed the articles, let me know how you get on if you go back and give the printing a go. I'm keen to do a follow up article in a couple of months time (I shall be doing one following the developing in coffee article thanks to the interest that created), and so it might be fun to do the same with this?
I would be very interested to hear what success/difficulties others encounter with my method. There's a thousand and one ways to approach printing in pt/pd, all of which have their own ups and downs. What works for one will be an unmitigated disaster for another. If my working method works for you, please let me know, and keep using it. If it doesn't work for you, also pass along what didn't work. I'm looking forward to helping folks solve problems, and if someone can show me an improvement to my method, I'm all in favor of learning another way.
Linear Mode
